for 1 year when you bundle tv and internet. rethink possible. >>> pope benedict xvi is resigning. the mixed reaction about his tenure and the hopes catholics have for the future. city employees caught downloading pornography, the steps the mayor is demanding to make sure this never happens again. >> complete bay area news coverage starts right now, this is ktvu channel 2 news at 6:00 p.m. >> good evening. >>> hello. i am frank somerville. >> and i am julie haener. >> they are accused of using city computers to share porn and gamble. ktvu's eric rasmussen talked with mayor ed lee today about who is involved and the punishment. eric? >> reporter: from suspensions to firing in this case. mayor ed lee says he would like the city to look at how it monitors the use of the internet and technology. some workers at this yard and another division could be looking for new jobs. >> reporter: at this p.u.c. yard workers knew why we were there. >> heard about it. >> reporter: one of the place wheres employees are suspected of using city computers to share pornography and online gambling. >> we

pope benedict xvi. today's blessing comes as the vatican considers moving up the date to find his replacement. we're live in st. peter's square. >>> and the drama surrounding former senator chuck hagel, the president's choice for defense secretary. his nomination in limbo, were even though many suspect he will eventually be confirmed. why are they making this process so difficult? we'll talk to david gregory and get analysis 06 that. >>> plus, have you ever wondered what it's like to train as a g man? >> i have wondered 245. >> well, you're sitting next to the right guy. i was in quantico, virginia. they deal with a car stop, hand-to-hand combat. and what we learned about fighting crime and you were brushing up on your car knowledge. >> i was. i was doing a little bit of that. we hear women don't know what much about cars. we get a bad rap. one woman who knows a lot about cars wants to change that perception. i spent a day changing oil. as part of a unique class designed for women by a woman. its goal is to make both our cars and the repair shop a little less intimidating. >> i wo

that threatens to overshadow his legacy n 2010 during a visit in evening lnld, pope benedict offered one of many apologies to the victims of the sex abuse. >> i express my deep sorrow to innocent victims of this unspeakable crime he was also the first pope to meet with victims. but for some of them, his actions came too late. >> no i don't think he did m enough. >> tim loneon is with survivor's network. before leading the church benedict was in charge of investigating claims of sexual abuse. in the 1985 letter to the diocese of oakland, despite hard evidence that father steven kesel was molesting children, he refused to refrock him without further study. that is his signature. he says ratsinger did not act until receiving order from pope john paul ii. >> he was not able to do much. john paul ii tended to be more skeptical about all accusations of sex abuse he says when benedict was elected in 2005, he was more willing to take action against these priests and make it more public. lennon arks bused when he was 13 says he popes a -- hopes a new pope will bring accountability to

two gentleman. >> we will have continuing coverage on the resolution i nation of pope benedict and check in the next half hour for an update and look at his rise in the catholic church with the newest information at abc7news.com. before you get out the door for work or off to school we will need to check on the weather forecast. >> leave the umbrella at home. that is the problem. mike? >> it is a problem. we starting off the year from january 1 to yesterday most of us it is the dryest it has ever been. the one area that is seeing the most rain is livermore and downtown san francisco where it is the third and 5th driest start ever to a year. we need the rain. nothing out there good for the commute. we will talk about the forecast. we have cool spots around bay at 340 to 45 in san francisco at 7:00, and mild during the lunch hour, and 50 to 54 and temperatures are close to average with sunshine, and upper 50's to low 60's at 4:00 and fall back in the low 50's. frost inland, and around 50 to 55 at noon and 58 to 62 with sunshine this afternoon and temperatures are close to average. he

gregory xii resigned. he did so to end the civil war within the church. pope benedict emphasized that carrying out the duties of being pope the leader of more than a billion roman catholics requires strength which he simply doesn't have anymore. after having repeatedly examed my conscious before god, i have come to the certainty that my strength due to an advanced age are no longer suited to an adequate exercise. pope benedict the 265th pope was born in 1927 as joseph in germany. he was forced into the hitler's youth at age 14. he served in the army but was desserted. he led the church since 2005 through a time that has seen him criticized for the handling of the parishioners of church. this really sets the stage for a conclave to elect a new pope before the end of march. coming up we will tell you why some people could perhaps see this resignation coming. we are live in san francisco i'm tara moriarty ktvu channel 2 news. >>> time is 5:02. over night news a crash in concord leaves one man with life threatening injuries. police say he was walking across clayton road at about 6:15

prior to his election as pope. pope benedict hoped to retire then and spend more time writing. he is a highly regarded scholar in theology. the retirement age for bishops is 75 and he submitted his resignation three times. the only reason he stayed at his post is because of pope john paul ii. he said quote strength of mind and body are necessary. strength which in the past few months has deteriorated. that i've had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted me. the 85-year-old's last day of pope will be february 28th. and the last time a pope resigned was nearly 600 years ago in 1415 when pope gregory stepped down. pope benedict was born in 1927 as joseph in germany. he was forced into hitlers youth at age 14. he served in the army but desserted and eventually captured by the americans. his decision sets the stage for a new pope to be elected before the end of march. and coming up later this morning. we hope to get reaction from the that catholic community especially in the light of the fact that ash wednesday is coming up in two days. and of course it's th

developing tonight -- a huge shock today for the one billion catholics around the world. pope benedict is retiring. something a pope hasn't done for nearly 600 years. the 85-year-old cites age.and fatigue. it's not what the cardinals called together today had expected to hear from their pope. benedict the 16th - saying he's just not up to the job anymore and is stepping down feb. 28th. the pope's brother says benedict actually made the decision nearly a year ago. after trips to mexico and cuba. he's nearly 86 and seems increasingly frail. still - a pope retiring is almost unheard of -- this is the last man to do it -- gregory the 12th - in 1415. benedict became pope in 2005.succeeding john paul the second. he may be worn down in part by controversy. almost from the start - he's been criticized for being part of the church hierarchy more worried about its reputation than the sexual abuse of children. as a german bishop in the 80's - he directly helped shield a priest who had abused children. and in 2001 - as a cardinal put in charge of dealing with the growing controversy - he wrote a l

. >>> cardinals are beginning to arrive at the vatican to choose a successor to pope benedict. and tonight, a cbs reporter shows us, there are new hints of scandal clouded of pope's final days. >> in a final address today, benedict thanked church officials for helping him bear the weight. the italian media has been riddled with alleged scandals, including the existence of a gay lobby of homosexual priests within the church high . the latest stories are centered on an investigation by three cardinals into the scandal that resulted in the conviction of the pope's butler for stealing secret documents. today, the vatican issued a blast of defusion of news that is often unverified, unverifyable and false, with serious damage to people and institutions. the main concern seems to be the effect the news could have on the cardinals when they enter the conclave to choose the next pope. scottland's cardinal summed it up this way. >> knowing the person who might choose will be assuming increasi heavy responsibilities, not just for the roman catholic church, but for itself. >> benedict remains busy with t

news alert from have aed can city where pope benedict xvi is making his final public appearance before resigning. good morning. i am heather childers. >> i am patti ann browne. today is wednesday february 27th. moments ago the pope made his appearance. we are looking live at square. they bid him farewell before he officially resigns tomorrow. 50,000 people estimated to be in that square right now. they are watching the pope by giant television screen all along the main boulevard. >> 250,000 people there. as of 8:00 p.m. tomorrow 2:00 p.m. eastern time pope benedict xvi will officially step down. he shocked the world with the announcement earlier this month. the first pope in fact in 600 years to resign. he no longer has the mental or physical strength to leave the catholic church. his final blessing sunday he reacured faithful followers he is not abandoning the church and he will spend his final years in prayer. for more coverage of the pope's final public pier rance we go life to rome where amy kellogg is standing by in saint peters square. she joini us on the phone. >> i am where you

up towards the en of the parking lot. >>> a few hours from now pope benedict xvi will officially become emeritus pope. cbs reporter vinita nair joins us live from the vatican with more on today's historic event. good afternoon. >> reporter: good afternoon. it's interesting. in a way today is the first day of the week that we have been here that really feels somber and i think that's what the pope had intended. he said he wanted today to be quiet, of course, after his retirement today he intends to sort of remove himself from the world. he wants to pray, he wants to meditate first. but earlier today, he had the opportunity to meet with his college of cardinals and give them some important messages. >>> reporter: cardinals stood and clapped for pope benedict xvi as met with them at the vatican ahead of his historic resignation. the pontiff blessed them and promised to show unconditional reverence and obedience to the next pope. the 85-year-old called for the church to remain united and said he would continue to support cardinals in prayer. pope benedict gave an emotional farewell t

vatican that pope benedict xvi will re-sign at the end of the month? the pope says he no longer has the strength to carry out 0 the job. joe rosato jr. spoke to san francisco's controversial archbishop who knows the pope well. >> reporter: shortly before pope benedict was archbishop of san francisco salvator met with the pope. >> he was mentally alert and engaged in conversation, but he seemed to be fiphysically hurti. >> reporter: still, he never expected to hear the history making news pope benedict was stepping down. >> i was just as shocked as anyone else. i hadn't heard raw morse rumors speculation. >> reporter: he watched popes live longer and the stresses of the job grow harder. >> there are greater demands placed on the pope now and going forward living for a longer time. it's a different dynamic now. >> reporter: he says pope benedict's tenure was especially stressful with the church embroiled in the sex abuse crisis, and though the church's critics will likely disagree, he believes pope benedict will be remembered for his courage to address it. >> he was one of the leading

final chance to see benedict xvi in the pope mobile. one final chance to see him speak. >> this is such a monumental time. no pope has resigned, the way he has done. and it's something that we have to see. >> reporter: tomorrow, benedict will officially retire to quiet prayer and meditation. the beatification will be captured live by 26 cameras. spectators started lining up before sunrise. they're full of devotion. benedict made the catholic church deeply concerned by corruption, cronyism and scandal. one of his final private meetings with the so-called 007 cardinals, who reportedly wrote about gay priests and blackmail in a controversial dossier. los angeles cardinal mahoney is here, even though he resigned and is accused of sealing the crimes of pedophile priests. >> i don't know if he said there's all these scandals, i have to resign. i think the weight of the job on someone who is relatively frail and very old, you know, just took its toll. and it was time for him to go. >> reporter: benedict will live in this converted convent and become pope emeritus. he will give up his red shoes

. vatican officials hope to elect a new pope in time for holy week at the end of march. pope benedict had big shoes to fill in 2005 when cardinals chose him to succeed john paul ii. one of his biggest tasks was responding to the priest sexual abuse scandal. >> indeed, i am deeply sorry. >> reporter: pope benedict issued an apology to victims and said the church made serious mistakes. today the pontiff called his choice reresign "a decision of great importance for the life of the church" and said he will dedicate the rest of his life to prayer. contend, to replace him include the archbishops of vienna and milan, cardinal timothy dolan of new york is a long shot. >> what happens next at the vatican? >> reporter: what happens next is that the vatican will announce a date for the conclave which is when the world's voting cardinals will come to rome to vote for the next pope. in the meantime, the pope says he will continue to work doing what he normally does. >> anna matranga live at the vatican, thank you so much. >>> and the pope's decision is drawing varied reactions from catholics here in

years. pope benedict says he's stepping down because of his age and diminishing strength. tara moriarty joins us now from san francisco with more on this mornings stunning announcement. tara. >> reporter: the vatican confirming the pope will resign february 28th. we are here at st. mary's cathedral. it's right across the street from the arch diocese. we should mention pope benedict is the first to step down in nearly 600 years. the 85-year-old announced his decision in latin this morning during a meeting of vatican cardinals. he emphasized carrying out the duties of pope the leader of a billion roman catholics requires stamina. something he is running out of. after repeatedly examing my congress before god i came to my strength and age are no longer suited for the ministry. he went on to say that strength of mind and body are necessary. strength with which in the last few months has deteriorated me to the extent i had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. the last pope to resign was gregory in 1415 he did so to end the civil war within the church

church, a massive crowd gathered in st. peter's square for pope benedict's final public audience this morning before the resignation becomes official tomorrow. we are covering it all from rome for you. >> good morning. it was absolutely a historic day in rome. 600 years since the last pope decided to say goodbye and that is what pope benedict did telling 100,000 people that the church had joy and light but he also admitted it has had difficult times. >> the final audience and farewell to the faithful, pope benedict xvi last public speech. never he has had such a big crowd. >> the church has had joy and light, he says. it also has had difficult moments. the crowd arrived from all over the world. three students from santa barbara were there. >> such a monumental time. no pope has resigned the way he has done. it is something we have to see. >> tomorrow, pope benedict will retire to rare and meditation, and this will be captured live by 26 vatican cameras. the spectators are full of devotion but pope poe leaves behind a catholic church concerned by corruption and scandal and cronyis

marriage, and allowing priests to marry but critics felt pope benedict xvi was not progressive enough for the changing times, supporters saw a steadfast leader who helped anchor their faith. >> today, this sets the stage for the vatican to find the successor by mid-march. reporting live in washington if abc7 news. >> thank you. stay with abc7 for continuing coverage of the resignation of pope benedict xvi. you can fine the latest information at abc7news.com and we will tweet immediate updates on twitter at abc7 news bay area. >> waking up, again, dry and clear this morning but we want to look at the whole week to see if there is needed rain in the forecast. mike? >> we need some rain. need some snow. do not have it in the forecast. sorry to start off that way this morning but it means an easy week of commuting weather-wise. here is a look at live doppler 7 hd, you can see everything is very quiet, with no radar runs and very dry air. temperatures from the mid-30's inland to the upper 30's to mid-40's around the bay right now. almost as cool as it was yesterday. temperatures will be in

people hurt in the grandstands. >> pope benedict xvi delivers mass at the vatican one more time. >> also ahead, a southern california card nationality will replace him. why authorities questioned him today before he left for the vatican. >> also, why neighbors are upset with a plan to upgrade a section of san francisco's waterfront. >> and warriors go for a third win of a row. >> i'm leigh glaser and few subtle changes in our forecast for hey! did you know that honey nut cheerios has oats that can help lower cholesterol? and it tastes good? sure does! ♪ wow. [ buzz ] delicious, right? yeah. it's the honey, it makes it taste so... ♪ well, would you look at the time... what's the rush? bee happy. bee healthy. with clusters of flakes and o's. oh, ho ho... it's the honey sweetness. i...i mean, you...love. so i used my citi thankyou card to pick up some accessories. a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? and with all the points i've been earning, i was able to get us a flight to our favorite climbing spot, even on a holiday weekend. ♪ things are definit

benedict will be staying at castel gandolfo. it's been a retreat for popes for several centuries now. a monastery in the vatican garden is being renovated as a permanent home for him it's a 8,600 square fight complex. renovations have been in the works since november and expected to be completed in the spring. his longtime housekeepers will join him. our special edition of "early start," the pope's last day continues right now. >> our special coverage continues right here on cnn. >>> history in the making. pope benedict xvi about to carry out the last chaj of his papacy meeting one by one with the cardinals who will choose his successor and he might be face-to-face with the next pope in just a few minutes on this last day on the throne of st. peter. good morning. welcome to this special edition of "early start." i'm john berman. >> and i'm zoraida sambolin. we'd like to welcome our viewers from around the world on cnn international. it's the top of the hour, thursday, february 28th. we are witnessing history in the making. no one alive has ever seen a sitting pope step down. >> it is al

. visit citi.com/thankyoucards to apply. >>> pope benedict xvi is scheduled tomorrow to give his final prayer. today he came out to spray with the cardinals. meantime the italian media the reporting that the pope's resignation is based on the latest allegations. the vatican today slammed the media for what it calls defamatory falsified reports. >>> in los angeles, cardinal roger mahoney was unflappable as he answered questions under oath today. he was deposed for nearly 3-1/2 hours about his handling of clergy sex abuse cases during his time as los angeles arch bishop. church documents have suggested that mahoney knew priests were sexually abusing children but went out of his way to shield arrest. >>> today french president said france is engaged in the final phase of the fight against militants who are believed to be hiding in a mountainous area. troops from neighboring african nations are scheduled to move in. >>> take a look at this blaze in a fireworks warehouse in china. firefighters say the fire started in a candle company on the third floor of the building then spread down to th

and we will have a preview. >> plus pope benedict retires in a few days. as he prepares to leave there's one more scandal overshadowing the vatican. almost tastes like one of jack's cereals. fiber one. uh, forgot jack's cereal. [ jack ] what's for breakfast? um... try the number one! yeah, this is pretty good. male announcer ] over a third of a day's fiber. fiber one. ♪ shimmy, shimmy chocolate. ♪ shimmy, shimmy chocolate. ♪ we, we chocolate cross over. ♪ yeah, we chocolate cross over. ♪ [ male announcer ] introducing fiber one 80 calorie chocolate cereal. ♪ chocolate. >> welcome back, everybody. good morning. we are starting this half-hour off with a quick look at the weather. here's lisa argen. >> good morning to you. this is a live look at emeryville this morning. some neighborhoods are starting out milder and that's because of the strong northerly winds. it's allowing for the temperatures toasty up near 50 degrees this morning and oakland. in san francisco and elsewhere we are dropping into the 30s from the north and east bay valleys. range from the mid-30s to the

vatican today to witness pope benedict xvi's final hours as head of the catholic church. it's a big couple of days. vinita nair joins us live from the vatican with more on the pope's sendoff and his retirement. good afternoon. >> reporter: good afternoon, it's a beautiful day here in rome. keep in mind, we're a lot of hours ahead for this general audience that wrapped up about three hours ago from where we are now but it was an unusual one in the sense that the pope traditionally takes this time to talk to tourists and followers about the catholic religion. but today he made it very personal aware that this was his last public audience. ♪ [ music ]♪ >> reporter: pope benedict rode through st. peter's square in his trademark popemobile for the last time. he kissed babies and waved to tens of thousands of people who gathered to see him. the 85-year-old delivered his final message after serving nearly 8 years as pontiff. pope benedict told the crowd he will keep the faithful in his prayers and has great trust in the future of the catholic church. tomorrow he will become the first pope to

>>> on our broadcast tonight, stepping down. the stunning news from the vatican, pope benedict announces he is resigning. the first to step aside in more than 700 years. as 1 billion catholics are left wondering why, what it means for the church, and who might replace him. >>> the fugitive. the ex cop terrorizing southern california. families of 50 fellow officers are being protected around the clock. a reward now up to $1 million. >>> the big digs, people snowed under and waiting for help. plus a direct hit from a tornado in the south. >>> and a genuine american hero. the incredible story how he saved so many lives, fighting back tears today as he received this nation's highest award for military valor. "nightly news" begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. >>> good evening. it came out of nowhere. and it stunned the over 1 billion catholics around the world when the pope announced early this morning, our time, he is stepping down, abdicating. this hasn't happened in seven centuries. pope benedict has served

will celebrate a mass for son tiff kit of pope benedict xvi. then around 2:00 he will catch a flight to rome where he will take part in selecting the next pope. pope benedict held his final sunday blessing this morning. he will only have one scheduled appearance before he retires on thursday. this all comes as the italian media now reporting a whirlwind of controversy surrounding his historic resignation. >> reporter: pope benedict xvi praying with cardinals. outside that spiritual haven a storm is brewing. the vatican is lashing out at the italian media for a string of what they call quote defamatory false reports. >> it is deplorable as we draw closer to the time of the beginning of the conclave and the cardinal electors will be held in conscious and before god to freely indicate their choice that there be a wide spread distribution of often unverifiable or completely false news stories. >> reporter: italian newspapers have suggested a secret dossier prepared by the pope and three cardinals. the report lists a series of scandals involving sex, money, and power. and suggesting a shadow

more than this. just really surprised. >> reporter: pope benedict had been looking frail recently, using a moveable platform during services, so he wouldn't have to walk. relying on a cane. the pope wants more rest, said his 89-year-old brother in germany. he said his brother has been thinking about stepping down for months. and had been advised by his doctors not to take anymore long, international flights, such as a planned trip to brazil in july. the pope's decision is unprecedented in modern times. the last similar case was pope celestine v, who had praise for pope benedict today. >> he has given church the last great service he will give the church. he's stepping off the stage when he feels he can't exercise the office of peter. >> reporter: benedict seemed to many a reluctant pope, as cardinal ratzinger under john paul ii, he was known as a conservative guardian of church doctrine, opposing women priests, abortion and homosexuality. as pope, he inherited the church's biggest scandal in decades. revelations that priests had sexually abused children. he met with victims and ap

its americanss. >> today is pope benedict's last ash wednesday mass before he steps down at the end of the month. why his move is uncharted territory for the vatican and the questions leaders will need to answer for catholics. >> okay, cate. a stranded cruise ship finally on the move from sleeping on deck to fighting for food. the filthy conditions passengers are now enduring. akes effect at the end of this month.. here's a live look at the vatican. k-p-i-x five's cate cauguiran is at st. mary's catherdral in san fran oday's >>> welcome back. pope benedict's historic resignation takes effect at the end of the month. this is vatican city. a lot of people are gathering outside st. peter's basilica. kpix 5's cate caugiran is at st. mary's cathedral in san francisco with more on today's mass. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. it's benedict's last ash wednesday mass as pope. it's the beginning of the solemn lengthen season for catholics today. as parishioners here at st. mary's cathedral show up for mass, there are sill a lot of un-- still a lot of unanswered questions in the vati

benedict 16 has announced resign on its february 28, in just a couple weeks. their office is not giving any reasons right now for him stepping down. been the popee's of 2005, about eight following the death of ii. john paul we are hoping to get more information. cnn and bbc and everyone all disinformation. very 28.pping down on we hope to have more in a few .inutes back to you. guidette family will keep a close eye on this story. 6 is the time, 37 degrees right now. much more to come, including the latest on the manhunt in los angeles. >> police evacuated a >> welcome back. still seeing some rain coming down. picture inive rosslyn, in the arlington area some sprinkles. most of it is moved on through. that's good news. we want to check in with jacqui jeras keeping an eye on things. good morning. lasting a couple hours. if it is a cold start this morning. look at temperatures. d.c., 37s right now in dulles, 36 in frederick this morning. culpeper, 39. 38 in quantico, 37 in manassas. most of the rain has already d.c.d east of still seeing steady rain in maryland, light rain. it's coming to

vatican. pope benedict xvi says he is resigning and is the first pontiff to do so in 600 years. we'll tell you why this comes as a surprise. well, well, well. growing up, we didn't have u-verse. we couldn't record four shows at the same time. in my day, you were lucky if you could record two shows. and if mom was recording her dumb show and dad was recording his dumb show then, by george, that's all we watched. and we liked it! today's kids got it so good. [ male announcer ] get u-verse tv for just $19 a month for 1 year when you bundle tv and internet. rethink possible. >> [ pope speaking latin ] >> stunning news from the vatican. pope benedict xvi is resigning. >> it's the first time a pope has resigned in nearly 600 years. >> his health. the last pope to freely resign was in the 13th century. ♪ [ music ]♪ >> stars and surprises on music's biggest night of the year. >> no bare breasts, no thongs, no see-through clothing but apparently, not everyone got the memo. >> as you can see, i read the memo. >> more than 200,000 people are still without power in the northeast after

vatican city. the vatican confirms that pope benedict will resign on february 28th. the vatican confirming this information. he made a statement in latin during a small event saying that he does not have the strength anymore. the vatican did not offer any more explanation but once again this breaking news out of vatican city that pope benedict will resign as of february 28th. at the live desk, angie goff, news 4. >>> thank you, angie. president obama will honor a hero from the war in afghanistan. he'll award this man the medal of honor. he and his fellow soldiers battled hundreds of taliban fighters for more than 12 hours in 2009. eight americans died. romesha will be the only third living member to receive the medal of honor. >>> authorities in california are preparing for another day of searching for a suspected killer. police in los angeles are offering $1 million for information on christopher dorner, an ex-police officer accused of murdering three people. officers surrounding a home improvement store yesterday after someone reported seeing dorner there. investigators believe he's targ

breaking news coming out of vatican. catholic church officials say pope benedict xvi will resign on february 28th, just 17 days from today. at announcement is considered a huge surprise. so far, there is no cheer reason given for the pope's rest you go nation. the headline from the vatican just breaking, pope benedict xvi will resign at the end of the month. >>> senator lindsay graham says he will delay a confirmation vote for cluck hagel and john brennan until he gets more information about a deadly attack on the u.s. consulate in libya. the south carolina republican accused the white house of stone walling his request for more information. hagel is the president's pick to lead the pentagon. brennan is in line for lead the cia. >> i do believe if he had picked up the phone, called the libyan government, these folks could have gotten out of the airport to the annex and the last two guys may very well be alive and if he did call the libyan officials and they sort of blew him off, that will affect whether or not i would give foreign aid in the future to libya. but if he failed to call

arguments on march 26th. >>> it was an emotional farewell from pope benedict xvi as thousands of people gathered at vatican city. tomorrow he will step down leaving the roman catholic church and its 1 billion worldwide follow eers without a pope. marianne joins us from the vatican. marianne? >> reporter: raj, pope benedict xvi spoke of the burdens of his office as well as the joy. st. peters square alive with excitement as the first pope in six centuries chooses to resign revealing at 85 years old he no longer has the stamina to leave the roman catholic church. >> i will continue to accompany the church with my prayers and ask each of you to pray for me and for the new hope. >> reporter: those who will choose his successor found his final words especially moving. >> it was such a beautiful moment to see the holy father give his whole life and service to the church. >> reporter: benedict noted the difficult times of his pa pacy thanking the faithful for understanding his decision to step down for the good of the church. >> so it's a kind of a death to a certain office and moving on, and

>> announcer: news 4 midday starts now. >> a story that caught many by surprise. pope benedict will be stepping down at the end of the month. we'll look at what steps will be take en to replace the pontiff. good morning and welcome to news 4 midday. >> it's monday, february 11, 2013. we begin with the developing story from the vatican. pope benedict xvi announced this morning he'll step down as leader of the catholic church. nothing like this happened before in the modern mechanics of the church. angie, two obvious questions. why and what happens next? >> good morning to you. even with the answers we have people remain in shock over this announcement. he also gave his blessing in finding the next leader of the catholic church. leading the prayer this morning at the vatican, pope benedict xvi told a small group he's leaving at the end of the month. in a statement he says his strength due to his age has deteriorated making him unable to fulfill the demands of the position. the vatican said he's not leaving because of difficulties with the papacy. benedict is the first pontiff to step

. >> pope benedict said he is resigning as leader of the catholic faith. >> st. peter's square, cardinals will convene to elect a new pope. amy is live at the cathedral in san francisco with the latest. amy? >> it happened at 2:00 a.m., our time, so, safe to say a lost catholics in san francisco have not heard yet. they will not be alone if their shock. a spokesman says even they were caught by surprise. here is video of the announcement made this morning. this is the pope making the announcement in latin, pope benedict xvi saying he will resign february 28 because of his deteriorating health. the pope is 85. he says he had to recognize "my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry," the first pope to resign since 1415, that is why this is a bit shocking to everyone around the world. pope benedict was elected in 2005, formally known as cardinal joseph ratzinger. the vatican will be able to elect a new pope by march because they do not have to observe the traditional mourning time that follows the death of a pope. this is breaking news, just happening, i have reached out to the spokesm

insiders and catholics around the world. pope benedict xvi been said it's time for someone physically stronger to leave the cat like church. >> reporter: the contest making this stunning announcement at a meeting with his cardinals. >> and he plans to retire at the end of themont. >> i'm shocked as much as you. >> reporter: even though he's aware of the seriousness of stepping down, he doesn't have the strength to carry out his papal duties saying, quote, both strength and mind and body are necessary. strength, which in the last few months, did tireiated in me. >> i always admired him as a scholar, as a priest, as a holy man. and now my admiration is higher because his humility. >> reporter: he's 85 years old, the first german pope in hundreds of years. elected in 2005, he succeeded john paul ii. there have been recent concerns about his health and he's needed help walking, but a vatican spokesperson insists he's not facing anything grave. the cardinals will elect his replacement and hope that can happen by holy week. >> they're looking for someone to preserve the court teachings of t

benedict's last general audience as pope. >> the historic transition before benedict's formal resignation tomorrow. it's wednesday, february 27th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> and good morning, everybody. i'm diana perez. >> and i'm rob nelson. history is in the making at st. peter's square as the pope officially retires tomorrow and that's coming up in our top story. on top of that, we'll turn to northern texas where a 16-year-old driver with a stuck accelerator pedal managed to avoid crash after crash. the panicky situation with speeds up to 100 miles per hour. lucky is an understatement. >> wow. >>> also this morning, the debate over working at the office or working from home. after a surprising order from the top corporate executive. where are you the most productive? >> would you do this show from home if you could? >> in a heartbeat. actually, i do live here. >> feels like we do. >> we're here every night. >>> coming up later this half hour, chris brown and rihanna's relationship has been on and off. now we're hearing the latest word about this unusual

soon going to have pope benedict xvi making his final official speech to the public before stepping down just over 24 hours from now. at 8:00 p.m. tomorrow, he becomes the first pope in centuries to resign. and he's leaving behind a vatican really at a cross roads. the catholic church facing difficult challenges and also opportunities as it moves forward. now, as i say, usually when there's a transition and we've covered it so many times, well, not so many times, but the last one i was here, and that was because a pope died. john paul ii died after living his last years infirmed and in visible pain. now we have a transition, we have a living pope. you're not watching a funeral before the next pope is elected. you're not watching the world's heads of state come here to pay their respects to the departed pope. you're seeing a much different kind of transition. john al whlen, what is pope benedict going to do the rest of the day? >> normally the wednesday audience, the pope gives religious instruction rooted in scripture. but today i would imagine that knowing the momentous nature of w

you very much. more now on the breaking news from the vatican where pope benedict xvi has announced he is resigning. >> sarah simmons is live at the northeast dc embassy with the surprising details now. sarah, good morning. >> good morning, tony and allison. it is very surprising. everybody throughout the world is shocked by this. so far, no world from the vatican embassy. we hope to hear from them later on. this all happened this morning. pope benedict had gathered the cardinals there to mark three saints. it was during that meeting he broke the news and made the announcement he would be resigning at the end of the month. now, as you know, the holy father is 85 years old. and he has had issues with walking and his strength is not what it used to be. and despite his age, little indication he would step down and take that action. however, in a statement, boep benedict said in part, after having repeatedly examined my conscious i have come to the certainly my strengths are no longer suited. the pope is referring to saint peter. he goes on to say dear brothers i thank you for the love

successor to pope benedict xvi who will be stepping down february 28th. reporting live here in san jose, bob redell, "today in the bay." >> all right. going to expect a lot of reaction from that one. >>> 5:02 right now. good morning one and all. thank you for joining us. i'm jon kelley. >> i'm laura garcia-cannon. we're also following developing news this morning out of southern california where the search for christopher dorner enters a new week. the former los angeles police officer continues to allude authorities, he may be getting something he wants. "today in the bay's" marla tellez joins us in the newsroom to explain. good morning. >> over the weekend lapd announcing a $1 million reward being offered for arrest and conviction of christopher dorner. now police chief charlie beck saying this is the largest local reward ever offered. several hours after making that statement sunday, tense moments at a lowe's store where two people thought they spotted dorner. the store was evacuated but police say it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity. the search for dorner continues t

cardinals will become the next pope and inherit a church even benedict admits is damaged by division. what would you like to see out of the next pope? >> i would like to see them make some serious changes. >> reporter: pope benedict will leave the vatican on a helicopter for his retreat outside of rome. he says he'll remove himself entirely from the public eye, dedicating the rest of his life to prayer and meditation. nick schifrin, abc news, rome. >> thank you, nick. stay with abc news on this historic day at the vatican. abc's george stephanopoulos will lead our live coverage today as the pope retires. you can find background on this remarkable transition at any time at abcnews.com. >>> well, the u.s. has reportedly embarked in its deepest involvement in syria since the start of the conflict. "the new york times" reports that the u.s. is training opposition rebels and today, secretary of state john kerry is expected to extend another helping hand. here's abc's martha raddatz. >> reporter: this would be the first time the u.s. has given aid to the military side of the opposition for

exciting finish came one day after a frightening cash. >>> pope benedict xvi has given his final blessing before he steps down on thursday. about 100,000 people were in st. peters square. he told the crowd he would take up a life of prayer and meditation and he's not abandoning the church. pope benedict will be the first in 600 years to step down. the st. mary's monosenior also dismissed recent reports about sex scandals. some say the pope is leaving to distance himself from gay priests at the vatican that are being blackmailed. the vatican says the allegations are completely false. >>> more information on the oscar pistorius shooting. a spokeswoman for pistorius says he is in pitoria. he met with correctional officers under the bail terms in his murder case. he is staying at ancona can -- at an uncle's house. he is charged with killing his girlfriend earlier this month. >>> investigators are stepping up their search for a suspect in a las vegas shooting. they identified mr harris as a suspect in a gunfight that killed three people. incollideing wrapper ken -- rapper kenny clutch. he file

more weeks and today pope benedict xvi celebrated his final public mass as the head of the catholic church the move was somber inside st. peter's basilica as pope benedict celebrated ash wednesday along with droves of worshippers. the 85-year-old pontiff told the faithful residing for the good of the church citing his frail health. the church plans to have a new pope in place by easter. >>> attorneys for barry bonds -- williams has been following this case from the very beginning and was inside the courtroom today but one significant player was missing. >> weigh the arguments on both sides here today. >> united states of america versus barry lamar bonds. >> should conviction for obstruction of justice be tossed down. >> mr. bonds was convicted on the basis of a single statement. that statement consists of 52 words. >> that rambling 52-word answer is on the screen now, bonds saying he was a celebrity child with a famous father, his answer to a question whether his trainer greg anderson ever gave him anything that required a syringe to inject himself with. that was part of bonds' two

church may have a new leader sooner than expected. in a history making move, pope benedict xvi changed the law of conclave. it allows the college of cardinals to skip the previously required 15-day waiting period before electing his successor. >> should do it as quickly as possible. >> i'm surprised. i thought it would take longer. >> the vatican would like a new pope in place before easter week begins march 24th. kpix 5's len ramirez tells us a former bay area archbishop will help select the new holy father. len. >> reporter: exactly right, cardinal william levada is familiar to many bay area catholics having served as the archbishop of san francisco. tomorrow he embarks on a historic trip. never before has a cardinal with such strong bay area ties traveled to rome to be part of the conclave that will choose the next pope. and the cardinal said today a lot would be on his mind. >> a map of faith, a map of prayer, a person who has shown qualities of leadership. >> reporter: cardinal levada one of the most powerful american in the catholic church listed some of the qualities he will loo

vatican today. jon: bill and martha, thank you. pope benedict the xvi officially resigning today. it's about three hours away. good morning i'm jon scott. jenna: hi, everybody i'm jenna lee live in our admonition's capitol today witnessing history right now along with you. we are glad that you're with us. the pontiff leading the vatican for the last time as pope today. he's about to fly by helicopter to cas castle began r-frplt he will bless the well wishers gathering there awaiting his arrival. the pope's retirement taking effect in a few hours. before leaving the vatican he delivered his tphaoeupbl greetings to the cardinals urging them to work in unity and promising unconditional reverence and obedience to his successor. all of this very new to everyone. the last time a pope resigned 1415, jon. when we say we are actually witnessing history, a history that few have experienced before, the facts all point to that. jon: nobody has ever seen, nobody alive now has seen what we are seeing now, the resignation of a pope. it is a historic day at the vatican and really for the one billion c

catholic church express surprise tonight after pope benedict 16th 's announcement he is stepping down -- benedict xvi's announcement that he is stepping down. >> reporter: the news came as a surprise to many people. catholics here tell us what they'd like to see a new leader bring to the church. pope benedict xvi made a stunning announcement this morning. the 85-year-old german born pope said fatigue is the reason he's stepping down. his papacy began in 2005. >> wow, this is big news. >> reporter: brother charles hilton teaches history at st. mary's college and says a sitting poem has not resigned in -- pope has not resigned in almost 600 years. >> what a beautiful gesture to say that his own strength is failing and rather than grasp power and hang onto it to the end he's going to let it go. >> reporter: during the nightly mass at st. mary's chapel the pope's announcement was on the minds of those attending services. some hope a new leader will allow the catholic church to reexamine its approach towards hot button issues such as abortion, same sex marriage and the role of women in the

police officer that brings the death penalty. >> the vatican is admitting pope benedict had a pacemaker for years and he underwent secret surgery throw months ago to replace the battery. the vatican says pope benedict will not take part in choosing the successor. he appointed most of the cardinals would will choose the next pope with the largest bloc coming from europe. in the bay area many who gather for mass last night prayed for the pope. some students hope the next pontiff opens a dialogue on issues such as married priests and same-sex marriage. >> i believe in a lot of the traditions and stands we have in the church but we need to move forward. >> i don't know about women priests but more respect and authority and power for the women in the church, the laywomen and the nuns and sisters. >> the pope resigns february 28 and the vatican hopes to have a new pope by easter, a month later. >> the white house confirms that president obama will talk about north korea's latest nuclear test in the state of the union address. right new, the united states security council is holding

it may encourage i will legal i'm sorry. >>> today pope benedict xvi pleased thousands of pilgrims from his window at st. peter's square. >> cbs reporter samey johnson explain why some think the pope should not participate. >> reporter: there is much debate on who will replace pope benedict xvi, stepping down due to health. the papal's conclave is a closed-door conference. among the 100-plus cardinals to attend, cardinal mahoney. cath likes united, with 50,000 members, make up the national group with 1,600 here in los angeles. they oppose cardinal mahoney taking part in the conclave given the church sexual abuse scandal. >> it is unbelievable that he would go there. i think it is just wrong. >> reporter: catholics united started a petition asking cardinal mahoney to recluse himself from the conclave. but not all catholics agree that the cardinal should it is out of the conclave. >> he is still part of the growing catholic church, so, i believe he should be involved. >> reporter: yet others like louise brown are not sure. alities we are need in of forward thinking cardinals, but he

his words. soaking in the cheers, benedict rode in his popemobile, waving, kissing babies. and when he rose to speak, an ovation. it was a frail man today, a marked difference from the day he began his papacy. known as god's rottweiler, he's been a leader bent on defending the traditions of the church in a modern world. but his papacy would be tested by the pain and deceit of the church's sex abuse scandal. today, he spoke of joy and sadness. days of sun and light breezes, when the fishing was abundant. but there were times when the waters were choppy and there were headwinds. times, when he said, it looked as if the lord was sleeping. among those listening, the cardinals. those who will decide benedict's successor. i spoke with cardinal donald wuerl of washington. how about the chances of an american? cardinal dolan, o'malley of boston? >> i think the conventional wisdom, which i think is correct, is a pope from the superpower would probably have a lot going against him, when he's trying to present a spiritual message to the rest of the world. >> reporter: tomorrow night, benedict

breaking news this morning. shocking news, really. pope benedict xvi isresigning. a spokesman will not reveal way. fatigue and possibly declining health over the past year, but, again, no reason has been given. he became pope in 2005. you will remember, he had been joseph rat singer, cardinal, a major figure at the vatican for years before he became pope benedict. german born. been pope for nearly eight years. nearly eight years and this is just a major, major bit of news this morning. coming out of the vatican, again, cnn confirming the pope will step down on february 28th, which is just a little over two weeks from today. >> and no clear reason. we're trying to get more details to share those with you. this is shocking. this is shocking, absolutely shocking. we'll continue to watch the developments for you, folks. 6:00. the painstaking cleanup getting under way after a violent tornado ripped through mississippi tearing apart homes, businesses and even causing damage to a university campus. a storm chaser occasi e er -- l. capture these images. this is 100 miles south of jackson, miss

the vatican, pope benedict xvi will offer a final public blessing before he retires next thursday. as cardinals gather for the election of a new pope, the vatican today was sharply critical of a wave of reports in the italian media. nbc's anne thompson is at the vatican. good evening to you. >> reporter: good evening, lester. it was an unusually strong rebuke from the vatican for going after the media for running false news reports, they claim, to influence the election of the next pope. now, this pushback came after several unsourced stories in an italian newspaper this week claim pope benedict decided to resign after receiving a secret report in december outlining corruption and misconduct inside the vatican. church officials here denied that story and today the vatican secretary of state issued a statement saying, it is deplorable that there are unverified, unverifiable, and completely false news stories that harm persons or institutions. now, while all this was going on, pope benedict after his week-long lenten retreat was getting back to business. he met with the italian pres